


Intermission

by Lizbettywrites



Series: The Ways They Said "I Love You" [19]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-06-15 15:47:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15416304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizbettywrites/pseuds/Lizbettywrites
Summary: Prompt-inspired bits and pieces that didn't fit into Interlude.





	1. With a shuddering gasp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place sometime after Chapter 23 of Interlude. Just a brief snippet based on my headcanon that Riptide's engine "hiccups" when he's upset.

“—and he never considers anyone’s opinion but his own,” Riptide whined, his voice vibrating through Ambulon’s armor with the way his face was pressed into it, “and Current just keeps egging him on ‘cause he thinks it’s funny!”

Ambulon checked his chronometer and winced. Riptide’s rant had gone on for almost an hour now.

“So then I tried to tell him—” Riptide was interrupted by a sudden hitch in his engine. He jolted in surprise. Ambulon gave him a confused glance.

He shook his head and continued. “—tried to tell him that he was being a—” Another hitch. “—an aft, that he’s always—” Hitch. Hitch. “—such an aft, and he just said—” Hitch. “—he said—” Hitch. “—he—” Three hitches in quick succession. “—he said I was—”

The hitches wouldn’t go away. If anything, their frequency increased. Riptide made another valiant attempt to finish his tale of woe. “He—said—I—was—over—re—acting—and—then—he—!” Defeated, the Hydrobot slumped against Ambulon’s shoulder, engine hitching every few seconds, wearing a mournful glower as he waited for his affliction to pass.

Ambulon couldn’t stop his chuckle from escaping. He adjusted to let Riptide lay down, helm in his lap, and pet his crest as he hiccupped his way into calming down.


	2. In a blissful sigh as you fall asleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takes place after Chapter 31-ish of Interlude. Just a little fluff.

The first nudge of a frazzled EM field was all the warning Riptide got in his half-asleep stupor before a familiar heavy frame climbed up on his berth and latched onto his plating. His vents chuffed in surprise, but he gathered enough of his wits to pulse a _welcome_ at his partner. Ambulon just pressed closer, the staticky overtone easing out of his field.

Riptide slung an arm over him, not that he needed any help staying on. Mech might as well have had magnetic grapplers in his limbs with how he clung. Ambulon made a contented grumbling noise in response—not to be confused with the other grumbles in his vast collection of grumbles. Turns out Ambulon's brand of "touchy" was less watch-what-you-say and more prepare-to-be-snuggled. He'd never shown much interest in interface (for which Riptide was thankful, for a whole slew of reasons), but there hadn't been a recharge shift since they made up that he hadn't asked Riptide to join him or crept into Barrack Fourteen himself.

Riptide grinned and started working his fingers into a seam along Ambulon’s side. Plating flared out of the way to allow him easier access. He’d been moving kind of stiff in the mess hall that day, so if Riptide could just find where the problem was…

The effect of working out the kinked cable was a sudden change of consistency in the mech draped over him. Wow. Very melt. Much relaxed. It was like having an insulation tarp made of sleepy medic.

Riptide extracted his hand carefully from between plates and settled it over the small of his partner’s back. “Better?” he whispered.

Worn lips mouthed silent thanks against his neck. Riptide smiled to himself in the dark. _Better._


	3. Broken, as you beg me not to leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An alternate ending to Interlude

“No.”

Riptide’s armor felt too tight. Energon boiled in his fuel lines. He let Ambulon step back, but he stuck a hand out over the box of Ambulon’s belongings before he could take it.

“They can’t do this to you. They can’t.”

The resignation heavy on Ambulon’s field stung where it came into contact with Riptide’s own. He hated it. He hated seeing Ambulon like this. Stubborn, opinionated Ambulon, who knew he made mistakes and corrected them and kept going, who lived with the effects of everything that had been done to him and still worked his aft off to help people who barely accepted him—that was the Ambulon he knew.

Not this Ambulon who answered his questions in a flat voice, who matter-of-factly gave in to his death trap of a reassignment without protest and acknowledged Riptide’s concerns without a word to his own. And then kissing him like that, like it was the last one they’d ever get, like he’d already given up hope they’d find each other again, given up hope that he’d even make it out of this relocation alive…

Actually, that did sound like the Ambulon he knew. The Ambulon who would push aside his own feelings because he thought Riptide’s were more important, or he wanted to spare him from worry, or just because he thought his own feelings were weak… Ambulon was strong and stubborn... and his walls went up at the first sign of trouble. Riptide couldn’t ignore that part of him. He knew Ambulon. He knew all of him. He loved all of him.

And he would blasted well say as much.

“We’ve got to fight this assignment. I’ll go to Command with you, and—and we’ll tell them to change it.”

“And when they refuse?”

Riptide caught Ambulon’s wrist as he reached for the box. “Then you can stow away and come with us instead.”

Ambulon barked a laugh. “I’ve only just gotten off probationary status, Riptide!”

“And now they’re sending you to the DJD’s doorstep!” Riptide let go of him, hoping that his words had sunk in enough to make him _listen_ , make him _understand_ he wasn’t alone here, he had options— “Don’t take this lying down, Ambs,” he begged. “It’s—it’s like you say. Command’s never done us any favors. So _I’m_ saying, if we want this, if you want this, we have to fight for it.”

Something flickered in Ambulon’s field. “Riptide—” He vented. Reset his optics. Muttered “frag.” Set his gaze on Riptide’s face again. “Tell me what ‘this’ is. To you.”

“I love you,” Riptide blurted.

Dead silence.

“...So that's it. To me. And if you…”

“I do.” Ambulon picked up his box, held it close to his chest like a shield.

“Then fight for it,” Riptide whispered, his spark pulsing frantically in its chamber. He fought the urge to take hold of his lover’s shoulders and shake him. “I’ll fight for you. You know I will. So please... Fight for me.”


	4. In a letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue to Interlude

_data-backup - > folder:electromail -> folder:drafts -> file:to_delphi_

Hey, Ambs, just wanted to check in & see how you're doing. I realized I never asked how you feel about ~~me~~ snow! How dumb was that? Forget all that other scrap, Messatine's supposed to be this huge ball of ice and blizzards and stuff right? Do you like that, or is it too cold for you? I remember this one time Rudder and me were patrolling on an ice planet—we used our alts to slide down the hills. It was epic until I got stuck in a snowbank. Pointy runners are NOT your friends in that kind of sitch, let me tell ya. Anyway, hope you're doing okay ~~and you don't miss me too much~~.  
 ~~XOXO,~~ ~~Sincerely,~~  
—Riptide

_folder:drafts - > file:to_delphi(7)_

Dear Ambulon,  
How's the facility over there? Is the boss as nice as Shortfuse? Are they treating you good enough? Have you made friends? This posting's kind of intense so far. We're on the field every day with no time on base. Actually, I think we're across the planet from base by now. There's a lot of ground—well, water to cover, and I guess some of these Cons are ~~akw~~ aquatic too, 'cause we got ambushed from under the surface yesterday. Sink's hurt pretty bad. I'm mostly writing to distract myself while he's getting fixed up. I'm ~~scared~~ a little worried he might not pull through. So yeah, I guess I'd rather focus on ~~you~~ something else while they deal with that. I hope you're making friends. At the end there on Checcor, you were doing really well with mecha, so it'd be cool to know you held on to that instead of shoving your walls back up ~~like you did at the very end there, at least it looked like it~~.   
~~Yours,~~ ~~Love,~~ Best,  
Riptide

_folder:drafts - > file:to_delphi(38)_

Ambs:  
I'm three years into this post and haven't managed to sent a single message your way. Sorry. I'd blame missions, but I'm just ~~afraid of what you'll say back~~ a giant idiot and keep forgetting to send stuff, and then by the time I remember there was a message I was gonna send, there's lots more to write you about and I gotta write a whole new message. Um. Things you should know ~~in case you care about them~~ : our squad's down to four since the campaign on Iscellon—that's where we transferred from Acron; I met Ultra Magnus (THE Ultra Magnus!!!) and learned how to use semicolons (I think I'm doing it right?); we beat the Cons on Iscellon and moved on to the next planet except it doesn't have a lot of water features so we're kind of useless travel-wise, which Cold Front hates and I think Rudder's actually enjoying. Current hasn't been ~~himself~~ ~~okay~~ doing too good lately, but it's all in his head so ~~there's not much we can do for him~~ he'll have to move on eventually. ~~Which is hard, I would know.~~ But enough about us. How are you? What's Delphi like? ~~Do you miss me as much as I miss you?~~  
 ~~Love,~~ ~~Regards,~~ Promise I'll try to send this one,  
Riptide

_folder:drafts - > file:to_delphi(113)_

You know what? Smelt this. I gotta put it all out there. I know you didn't want me to for whatever reason, ~~assuming you actually knew what I was going to say all those times because maybe you didn't but it seemed like you got the gist at least, which would make it even worse that you kept stopping me from saying it out loud, like it wasn't real enough without saying the words~~ but I'm gonna. And who knows? Maybe I'll actually send this one. So. Ambulon. Ambs. I love you. I wanted to tell you so badly. I'm still thinking about it five years later. I miss you. I miss you so much and everything's awful and it wouldn't be fixed if you were here but it would be a little better, and every day I wonder if you're okay, if you're safe, if you're even alive. Those are the worst days, when another DJD broadcast comes around and I watch and just hope it won't be you they've got hold of. It's just me and Cold Front now, but at least we're off the front lines. We're safer than most mecha probably. Definitely safer than where you are, if you're still there. I know you're trying to ~~be a good Autobot~~ fit in and get your record looking nice. You're probably the head of your facility by now, or close. They'd have to be dumber than me not to see how much you deserve it. You're the hardest-working mech I know. So as much as I wish you were here, way back from DJD space... I get it. This is important to you. So it's important to me. There's a lot that I should've said five years ago, but the most important thing was that I love you. I'd do anything to go back and say it to your face. Guess I'll settle for saying it here, because you must have had a reason for stopping me back then. Maybe now's a better time.  
Take care of yourself,  
Riptide

_Delete all in folder:drafts?_

_[Cancel] **[Yes]**_


End file.
